Cable or rope capping machine



Dec. 11-, 1945. T.-LEPKOWSK I- CABLE OR ROPE CAPRING MACHINE Filed May 13, 1944 Patented Dec. 11, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 11 Claims.

This invention relates to a manually operated machine for the capping of the ends of ropes or cablesto prevent fraying of said ends and the untwisting of the strands which go to make up the rope or cable.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a machine which will be portable, durable and simple to operate and which will eificiently secure, by crimping, metallic caps or tips on the end portions of the rope or cable for the purposes specified and which retains the end of the rope or cable so that the latter will be easy to handle in knotting or the insertion thereof through openings of devices to which it may be desired to connect or secure the rope or cable.

With these and other objects in view as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in Which Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, illustrating a rope or cable capping machine constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view partly in section illustrating the machine.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating the die and its mounting.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view illustrating one of the caps or tips.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 5 indicates a bed of the machine supported horizontally by diverging pedestals Or legs 6. Rising from the ends of the bed 5 are abutments 1 forming an integral part of the bed and located adjacent the abutments are recessed types of seats 8 for removably securing, in conjunction with the abutments 1, clamps 9 on the bed 5. The bed 5 is provided with a guideway llJ slidably supportbearing I2 made to operate toward and from the abutments 1. The rack bar H meshes with a pinion I3 secured on a shaft l4 journaled in a downward ofiset I 5 provided on the bed 5. The shaft l4 has secured thereto a hand lever It for the manual rotation of said shaft [4 and consequent reciprocation of the rack bar H and the carried hearing I 2 toward and from the abutments I or theclamps 9 located adjacent thereto.

5 end walls of the bearing l2.

10 bearing and includes an annular body having an opening which decreases in size from each end thereof to form a restricted portion 2!? to the opening. The walls of the opening of the die l8 have formed therein grooves 2|. The grooves 2! form therebetween ribs for the purpose of oreating in caps 22 spirally arranged ribs and grooves causing the walls of the caps to tightly grip the coil strands of the rope or cable. The caps each include a cylindrical metallic shell closed at one end and flaring toward its open end with the edges at the open end slightly beveled, as clearly shown in Figure 5.

Each clamp 9 consists of a body 23 shaped to conform to the seat 8 and is provided with a 25 chamber 24 opening through one Wall of the body.

The body is also provided with aligned longitudinal openings communicating transversely with the chamber 24 to permit a rop or cable to extend lengthwise therethrough. Received. within the chamber 24 is a pair of hingedly connected and spring influenced jaws .25 engaged by a set screw 26 threaded in the body of the clamp, as shown in Figure 3. Each pair of jaws 25 is adapted to receive a cable C with one jaw bearing against the opposed wall of the chamber while the other jaw is contacted by the set screw 26 whereby the pair of jaws may be caused to tightly grip the cable or rope to prevent fraying and unt'wisting and to retain the latter against 40 rotation or sliding movement within the body of the clamp.

The hinge for the jaw is designated by the character 27 and the spring 28 by the character 28. The spring is carried by the hinge 2'! with its ends bearing against the jaws 25 acting to 'ing a rack bar H forming an integral part of a.

urge the jaws apart.

The bodies 23 of the clamps 9 have formed thereon arms or extensions'ZS apertured, as at 30, and provided with set screws 3|. An adjustable connection 32 is provided between the arms or extensions 29 and consists of interconnecting longitudinal overlapped membe 33 capable of.

sliding longitudinally relative to each other for a limited distance and each is of substantially U shape and the one turned a quarter turn relatively to the other and having their unconnected ends received within the openings 30 and adjustably secured to the extensions or arms 29 by the set screws 3i. The members 33 include elongated parallel portions of substantially rectangular shape in cross section so that the interconnection of the members will permit them to slide freely relative to each other for a limited distance and still willprevent the members from rotating independently to each other.

The members 33 have arcuately curved peripheral faces 33' to be engaged by a protecting or guard sleeve 35 which covers or surrounds the connections between said members 33 but free of fixed engagement with the latter. The purpose of the adjustable connection 32 is to establish a connection between the clamps 9 which will permit the clamps to be easily moved toward and from each other when unfastened or removed from the seats 8 of the bed 5. Th clamps are removed from the bed v5 and applied to a length of rope or cable and the latter is then marked and severed on the marking, producing meeting ends to the severed lengths of the rope or cable supported by the clamps. The clamps are then moved apart to separate said ends of the lengths of cable or rope and thereafter positioned in the seats 8 and against the abutments l of the machine with the die l8 located between the ends of the lengths of rope or cable, as shown in Figure 1. Prior to positioning of the clamps '9 with the lengths of the rope or cable applied thereto in the seats 8' and against the abutments, caps 22 are slipped over and engaged with the ends of the lengths of the rope or cable. The operator then swings the lever IS in one direction causing the die to engage one of :the caps and crimp the latter onto the end portion of one of the lengths of the cable or rope forming in the wall of the cap or tipspiral grooves to match and tightly grip spirally arranged strands that go to make up the rope or cable, thus tightly securing the cap or tip in place against accidental removal. The hand lever is then moved in a reverse direction to similarly secure the other cap or tip 22 onto the other length of the rope or cable. The die ['8 as provided with the spirally arranged grooves and being rotatably supported within the bearing [2 will permit the [die to rotate at the same time it is acting on the :cap or tip in the crimping thereof so that the walls of the cap or tip will become spirally ribbed and grooved to match the grooves and ribsformed in the circumferential end portion of the rope or cable by the form and arrangement of the strands of the rope or cable.

In securing a cap or tip 22 on the cable or rope C the die is made to travel the full length of the cap or tip so that the tapered edges of the mouth of the cap or tip, will be squeezed and forced tightly into the strands of the cable-or rope, the application and setting of the cap or tip being. readily accomplished due toits originally slighitly'tapered or flared formand'the particular form andmounting of the die l8.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it. will be seen that a very practical, durable and compact machine has been provided which canbe conveniently set up for use at any desired place for the purpose of efiiciently securing onthe ends of lengths of cable or rope metallic caps or tips and that: the amount of manual effort required in the operation will be reduced to. a. minimum.

Further, through. the use of this: device especially in view of the fact that the clamps are removable from the bed of the machine, is permitted the application of the clamps on a rope or cable which is in bulk form at any selected place so that, when the rope or cable is cut, the severed part will be of a selected length and the severed and unsevered lengths may be adjusted or spaced a selected distance from each other so that caps or tips may be easily arranged thereon and conveniently and expeditiously, right at the time and place of installation of the cable or rope for use,

if necessary. With the clamps applied to the bed the caps or tips can be easily and quickly, through the manipulation of the hand lever, tightly crimped onto the lengths of the rope or cable with the walls of the caps or tips grooved and ribbed to match the strands of the rope or cable and which effectively assists in retaining the caps or tips on the rope or cable against accidental displacement.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invenrtion as claimed. 7

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a cable capping machine, a bed including supporting portions, clamps on said bed for securing lengths of cable having caps appliedto adjacent ends thereof with the caps and ends of the cable spaced a selected distance apart, a, rack bar slidable on the bed, a bearing formed. on the rack bar, a die journaled in the bearing for the crimping of the caps onto the cable, a shaft journaled on the bed, means for rotation of the shaft in opposite directions, and a pinion secured to the shaft and meshing with the rackrba'r.

2. In a cable capping machine, a bed, clamps on said bed for the support of lengths of cable consisting of twisted strands with caps applied toadjacent ends thereof, a die slidable on the bed,

, means for imparting movement to the. die in opposite directions, and said die including an annular body having an opening flaring toward each end providing a restricted medial portion to the opening and providedwith ribs and grooves to crimp the walls of the caps accordingly to engage the twisted strands of the cable.

3. In a cable capping machine, a bed, clamps removably mounted on the bed. and adjustably connected to each other for receiving and,-gripping a cable with caps applied to ends thereof, a die for crimping the caps on the cable and mounted for movement on the bed inopposite-directions, and means for imparting movement to the die in opposite directions. r

4. In a cable capping machine, a'bed' including seats. and. abutments, clamps received by said seats and engaging the abutment's. and adapted to receive and grip lengths of cable with. caps applied to adjacent ends thereof, a die .rotatably and slidably mounted on the bed for crimpingthe caps onthe cable by sliding lengthwise of the cable and at the same time rotating about the cable, means for operatingthe die in op site directions, and-an adjustable connection between the clamps.

'5; In acable cappinggmachine a bed including seats and abutments, clamps:receivedbysaid seats .slidably mounted: on-the bedCfo'r-crim'ping' the caps on the cable, means for operating the die' op=- posite directions, interconnecting substantially U shaped members adjustably connected to the clamps. I

6. In a cable Cap-ping machine, a bed including seats and abutments, clamps received by said seats and engaging the abutments and adapted to receive and grip lengths of cables with caps applied to adjacent ends thereof, a die rotatably and slidably mounted on the bed for crimping the caps on the cable, means for operating the die in opposite directions, means adjustably connecting the clamps, each of said clamps including a pair of hingedly connected spring influenced jaws for gripping the cable, and set screws carried by the clamps to secure the jaws in gripping relation to the cable.

'7. In a cable capping machine, a bed, means for supporting cable lengths on the bed with caps applied to adjacent ends thereof and spaced a selected distance apart, a bearing slidable on the bed, a die journaled in said bearin and removable therefrom for crimping the caps on the cable, and means for effecting sliding movement of the bearing in opposite directions.

8. In a machine for securing finishing and endholding caps to the ends of ropes or cables, a supporting bed, opposed and longitudinally aligned clamps mounted longitudinally movable on said supporting bed for supporting and retaining the end portions of a rope or cable, each rope or cable with an end cap thereon and located at a selected distance endwise apart, and a die interposed between the spaced apart ends of the capped ropes or cables and movable on the supporting bed and provided and adapted for the crimping of the applied caps on the ropes or cables.

9. A machine of the character described and as set forth in the combination of structurally coordinated and cooperative parts as in claim 8 and -further including means for imparting a longitudinal reciprocatory movement of said die between and upon the capped end portions of the ropes or cables and at the same time imparting a compensatory rotative movement to said die.

10. In a cable capping machine, a bed, a clamp on the bed for supporting and releasably holding a length of cable having an end finishing and strand binding cap placed preliminarily on the adjacent end portion thereof, a die having an open working portion positioned in axial alignment with the capped end of the cable and being axially rotatable on the bed, said die being of an internal form to surround and of a definitely lesser diameter than the external diameter of the preliminarily applied cap on the supported and held cable and being also arranged and adapted for movement endwise onto and oil of the said applied cap and in such operation deformably compressing and setting the cap in fixed attachment to the end portion of the cable, and means for eifecting movement of the die forcibly in opposite longitudinal directions onto and off of the opposed cap on the cable.

11. A cable capping machine in the combination of coordinated and cooperative structural parts as set forth in claim 10 but describing more.

specifically that the die element is of an annular form and provided on its interior Working surface with a spirally arranged crimping formation whereby to effect a counterpart crimping efiect On the applied cap on the end portion of the cable and in the crimping action upon the cap causing a compensating rotating motion of the die in both its movement onto and oiT of the cap.

THOMAS LEPKOWSKI. 

